BootsnAll Travel Community

Thought I´d warn everyone as I´m sure I´m not the only one this is going to happen to...

Because I tend to suffer from seasickness, I got a prescription from my (US) doctor for a travel sickness patch called Transderm Scope, active ingredient Scopolamine. It is a patch changed every three days, used successfully by someone I know in the past.

Long story short - this is what happened to me after taking the patch exactly as prescribed:

*Blurred vision up close (couldn´t read anything)
*Dizzyness and a feeling of being high
*Loss of memory, couldn´t remember what I´d been doing that day
*Confusion - would come to from a reverie and not know where I was or how I got there
*Hallucinations - visual and hearing things
*Loss of motor control - stumbling, knees giving out when walking, losing things held in my hands
*Speech affected as if extremely high on something. It was difficult to speak, and difficult to even bother speaking. In my mind I couldn´t distinguish between Engligh and Norwegian (this has never ever happened to me before no matter how drunk etc) and spent the better part of an afternoon talking gibberish. I simply couldn´t tell the difference...

Obviously, I removed the patch, and the symptoms slowly decreased. The next afternoon, I suffered from extreme vomiting and diarrhea, and couldn´t keep down even a sip of water.

We were in the Galapagos Islands, and luckily that afternoon arrived at a port. I went to the Emergency Room and was diagnosed with poisoning. I had severly dilated pupils, my resting pulse was twice the normal rate, and I had a fever, among other things. I spent the afternoon/night being treated for poisoning, and praised myself lucky we weren´t out at sea. I missed out on 1/3 of my Galapagos trip and several days later still feel shitty.

If you are considering getting something stronger to deal with your seasickness, I urge you to think twice. I am appalled that my doctor just handed out the prescription for these things without question or concern.

Kath

Wow! Are you sure it was the patch? Have you contacted the company?

Kath, sorry to hear about that. I get seasick, too. I usually try to go without remedies..but I've found that sliced ginger in your cheek helps a bit. Don't know if it's one of those old wives tales type of thing, but I didn't puke!

kath, i'm sorry to hear about your experience. how are you doing now?

does dramamine not help you guys? i don't get seasick so i haven't had any opportunities to test it out, but it's helped some of my friends. however, i happen to know that if you take too many at once, you start tripping out (not speaking from personal experience, btw).

I've taken dramamine, and it knocks me out..I feel like crap for a while (much longer than the seasickness lasts)...that's why I try to stay away from it.

Thanks, I am back to normal :-) I think I`m just hyper sensitive to meds as Dayquil also made me high...

Draamine and other tablets put me to sleep, so I didn`t want to use them. I was just so intent on having a fabulous cruise, and didn`t want to risk any seasickness... Usually I just wear the Sea Band, the one that puts pressure on a point inside your wrist. It really helps me, but I haven`t tried it in big waves...

I haven`t contacted the company but several people have suggested that I should. Perhaps later, when I get back or something.

Kath

quote:

Originally posted by Marisa:
I've taken dramamine, and it knocks me out..I feel like crap for a while (much longer than the seasickness lasts)...that's why I try to stay away from it.

Funny story about this. Several years ago I went to Boston with a group of Youth from my church. We decided to go out on a whale watching tour, which sounded like great fun. Before we got on the boat the "wise" councilors handed out Dramaine to everyone. I strongly refused to take it because I don't get seasick and was told that I "would be sorry." To make a long story short the only TWO people that got to see any whales were myself and another guy that did not take the crap. Everyone else was puking thier guts out inside (which I told them was a mistake "Come out on deck," I said. "You will feel better." Did anyone listen to me NOOOO because I was a "Kid" even though I had the experiance that they didn't!!)

Just goes to show you what "medicine" does for you!!!

CM

PS I still have some of the pics of the whales on my mirror. They were spectacular!!

Hey Kath...next time you go to the doctor's office, ask about Atarax. It's really under the classification of anti-histamine. However, it's also a non-narcotic anti-anxiety drug with anti-emetic (keeps you from puking) qualities. Many doctors order it for motion sickness or for those who are afraid of flying.

But as with all drugs, in the process of eliminating one problem, it creates others. So, you might feel lightheaded, dizzy, or like you've been drinking.

Alaskahawa,

thanks for the tip but unfortunately I don´t think I dare It is back to the Seaband and ginger for me...

Kath

lol...I don't blame you. But you always have it as an option and you can even halve the pill to start off with a low dose.

Try less-drowsy dramamine or seabands (found in any drugstore).

Thanks guys :-)

Hopefully I won`t be going on another boat trip anytime soon...

Kath